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CABLE GRIPPER. No. 462,378. Patented Nov. 3, 189 1.

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G. S. DUNCAN.

CABLE GRIPPER.

No. 462,378. Patented Nov. 3, 1891.

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G. S. DUNCAN. GABLE GRIPPEB.

No. 462,378. Patented Nov. 3, 1891.

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NlTED STATES PATENT ()FFIcE.

GEORGE SMITH DUNCAN, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.

CABLE-GRIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,378, dated November3, 1891.

pp a on filed August 25, 1890. Serial No. 363,046- (No model.) Patentedin Victoria March 13, 1890,110. 7.5803 in New South Wales March 15,1890, No. 2,086; in South Australia June 24, 1890 No. 1,632; in TasmaniaJune 27,1890, N0. 830; in England July 18, 1890. No. 11,933, and inQueensland October 2, 1890, No.1.047.

To all whom it may CON/0677b.

Be it known that I, GEORGE SMITH DUNCAN, civil engineer, a subject ofthe Queen of'Great Britain, residing at Melbourne Chambers, LittleCollins Street, Melbourne, in the British Colony of Victoria, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Gable-Grips,(for which I have obtained Letters Patent in the following Britishcolonies: Victoria, patent dated'March 13, 1890, No. 7 ,580; New SouthWales, patent dated March 15, 1890, No. 2,086; Queensland, patentdatedOctober 2, 1800, No. 1,047; South Australia, patent dated June 21, 1890,No.1,632; Tasmania, patent dated June 27, 1800, No. 830, and in GreatBritain, patent dated July 13, 1890, No. 11,933,) of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to cable-grips for cable-roadsthat is, for thoseroads in which the propelling power is communicated from the engine tothe vehicle through the medium of a cable traveling in a subway orunderground conduit.

The invention consists in structural features and in combinations ofparts, as will now be fully described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of myimproved cable-grip, illustrating same with its movable gripping-jaw inits lowest or cablereleasing position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, butillustrating said grip as having picked up the cable; and Figs. 3 and atare respectively an end elevation and a plan of said grip with its partsin the position illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of thegrip, illustrating the parts as they would be when the cable is tightlygripped-that is, when the main gripping-lever has been operated. Fig. (iis a side elevation of the lower part of my improved grip, illustratingthe combination therewith ot' a lateral bar or arm when the grip is usedon roads provided with balanced cable-carriers for the purpose ofdepressing the cable-carrier and allowing the grip to clear the same.Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section on line 7 7, Fig. (5. Fig. 8 isa horizontal section on line 8 8, Fig. 0; and Fig. 0 is a horizontalsection on line 9 9, Fig. 0. Figs.

10 and 11 are respectively a side elevation and an edge view of the shoeinto which the lower end of the main operating-lever is fitted; and Fig.12 is a vertical central section on line 12 12, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is across-section of the permanent way of a cable-tramway system fitted withmy rocking cable-supporting pulleys and constructed for use with myimproved cable-grip; Figs. 11 and 15 the yielding cable'supportingdevices in side ele vation and top plan, respectively.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

A represents the lower gripping-jaw,which is, according to my invention,either secured to or else is made integral with a central plate a,adapted to slide up and down within the fixed framing B of the grip inthe ordinary manner, and A is the fixed jaw secu red to said framing inthe ordinary manner. The upper part of the central vertically-slidingplate a is connected by a pair of links 0 c with a block C,whioh iscapable of sliding freely up and down within a groove 0, formed in ashoe (Z, into which the lower end of the main operating-lever D is fixedin any convenient manner. The lower end of the shoe (Z is pivoted at dto some convenient part of the framing B of the grip, while the mainoperating'lever D is provided near its upper end with asmallspring-retaining catch ("1 adapted to engage in teeth or serrations (Zformed in the upper surface of a quadrant (Z secured to the upper partof the fixed framing of the grip somewhat in the ordinary manner.

E represents the cable-lowering and pick-.

ing-up lever hereinbefore mentioned, which said lever is pivoted at c tosome convenient part of the framing 1;, preferably adjacent to thepivoted end (1 of the shoe (I. Said lever is, moreover, provided at itslower end with a pair of crank-arms c,which may be formed integral withor may be secured directly to said lover, or else maybe keyed orotherwise secured to the pin or spindle 6, upon which said lever turns.The outer ends of these crank-arms c are connected by links c c with thesliding block C, to which, as above mentioned, the adjustablejaw-carrying plate a is also connected.

The upper end of the loo cable-lowering and picking-up lever E isprovided with a small spring-retaining pawl or catch 9 adapted to engagewith the teeth or serrations (2 formed in the upper surface of thequadrant e ,which is preferably provided with adjustable stops 6 tolimit the movement of the lever E, said stop being inserted into one ofthe holes formed in the quadrant, whereby the throw of said lever may bevaried, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The lower side of thelower gripping-jaw A is by preference rounded oif, as illustrated at a,(see Figs. 3 and 7,) in order to facilitate the picking up of the cable,thus obviating the necessity for forming kinks in the latter whenever itis desired to lead the cable into or out of the jaws of the grip, aswill be well understood. Either to the end of the vertically-slidingplate a, as shown, or else to the front of the lower gripping-jaw A issecured a pulley-depressing bar or shoe F, which projects from saidplate sufficiently far to contact with the reversely-inclined uppersurface of a guide G, Figs. 13 and 14, secured alongside thecable-supportin g pulleys H to a rocking beam or arm L.

As fully d escribed in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No.402,682, filed August 14, 1890, and as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, thecable-supporting pulley H is mounted in suitable bearings in the outerforked end of a rocking beam I that has its bearings in a suitable stand2', and whose other end is made sufficiently heavy to keep the pulleyand the cable thereon up to its normal level, while leaving said pulleyfree to be depressed, when required, by the shoe F on the lower jaw ofthe grip. The opposite ends of the shoe F are curved upwardly, as moreplainly shown in Fig. 14 atf so as to engage the inclined upper face ofthe guide G without shock. The rocking beam is mounted in suitablebearings carried by a frame or stand, which can readily be secured andsupported within the cable-tunnel or a chamber interposed in saidtunnel, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 13, according to the height atwhich it is required to carry the cable.

- The operation of the grip is as follows: Assuming the parts to be inthe position illustrated in Fig. 1that is, with the lower jaw A in itslowest or depressed position and the cable to be running freely betweenthe two jaws and on the cable-supporting pulleysthen if it is requiredto propel the car it is necessary to operate the cable-picking-up le- 5)to propel the car along a fairly-level road or even up a slight incline.A tighter gr p of thecable may be obtained with the main gripping-leverD, if required, owing to the increased mechanical advantage obtainable.Ordinarily I arrange the height of the cablesupporting pulleys H in thechambers C so that the lower jaw A of the grip willpass freely over themwhen in its raised pos1tron that is, when gripping the cable, asillustrated in full lines in Fig. 13. In the event of the cable beingreleased by lowering the lower gripping-jaw A, the latter would be11able to contact with the cable-supporting pulleys H if the pulley-shoeF did not contact with the inclined guides G on the side of saidpulleys, the effect of such contact being to depress such pulley,as'indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 18, thus allowing the lower jaw Ato pass freely over them without ln ury. It will be readily understoodthat the cable when released by the grip will rest upon the lineor.cable pulleys or sheaves H, instead of being supported by the lowerjaw of the grip or running over sheaves or small pulleys upon the lowerend of the grip itself, as is the case in some constructions ofcable-grips. By this means much wear and tear of the cable and grip isprevented, and said cable is, moreover, allowed to remain comparativelystraight while at work, instead of being caused to assume a wavy orirregular form.

It will be readily understood by all persons skilled in the art to whichmy invention relates 'that I am enabled with my improved grip to adjustthe gripping-jaws at any time, even while the car is in motion, by meansof the cable-lowering and picking-up lever E, instead of having toslack,back, or tighten up several set-screws and lock-nuts, as is thecase with some grips. Moreover,with my improved grip I am enabled toprovide sufficient opening between the gripping-jaws to allow for thepassage of a bunch in a stranded rope, instead of having to stop thecable in order to release the car therefrom.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim isl. A cable-grip comprising a fixed grippingjaw, a jawhaving vertical motion toward and from said fixed jaw, a slide-block, alink connection between said block and the movable jaw, a lever and acrank-and-link connection between the lever and slide-block, for thepurposes set forth.

2. A cable-grip comprisinga fixed grippingjaw, a-jaw having verticalmotion toward and from said fixed jaw, a slide-block, a link connectionbetween the block and the movable jaw, a lifting and loweringlever, acrank-andlink connection between said lever and the slide-block, and apower-lever connected with the slide-block and adapted to impart motionthereto, for the purpose set forth.

jaw arranged below said fixed jaw and havin g vertical motion toward andfrom the same,

a power-lever, a slide-block having motion in a slot of said lever, aconnection between the slide-block and movable jaw, a lowering andlifting lever, and a crank-and-link connection between said lever andthe slide-block, for the purpose set forth.

4. A cable-grip consisting of a fixed jaw, a jaw arranged below saidfixed jaw and having vertical motion toward and from the same, and apower-lever composed of a lever-arm D and a pivoted shoe for said armprovided with a longitudinal slot, a slide-block provided withlaterally-projecting journals fitted and having motion in said slot, alifting and lowering lever, a crank-and-link connection between thelast-named. lever and the block, and a link connection between thelatter and the movable jaw, the links connecting the block with thecranks of the lifting and low ering lever, and with the movable jawbeing connected with the laterally-projecting journals of said block,for the purpose set forth.

5. Acable-grip comprising a fixed grippingj aw, a j awhavin g motiontoward andfrom said fixed jaw, said jaw being provided with alaterallyand downwardly proj ectin g shoe F, having its opposite ends curvedupwardly, and means for imparting motion to said movable jaw, incombination with a cable-supporting sheave, a yielding support for saidsheave, said support being provided with reverse inclined faces arrangedin the path of the shoe F when the movable jaw is at the limit of itsdownward motion, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

GEORGE SMITH DUNCAN. \Vitnesses:

WALTER SMYTHE BAYSTON, EDWIN WILSON.

